dope.security

dope.security is a technology company.

Active

Updated: Dec 10, 2025 ·

Recent News & Mentions

Mar 1, 2023Fundingdope.security - Series A Jul 1, 2021Fundingdope.security - Seed

Financial History

dope.security has raised $20.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $16.0M Series A in March 2023.

Total Raised

$20.0M

Valuation

N/A

Funding Rounds Raised

Date	Round	Lead Investors	Other Investors
Mar 1, 2023	$16.0M Series A		Alt Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, Forum Ventures, GV, Matrix, S28 Capital, SaaS Venture Capital, Slack Fund, Y Combinator, Allen Gannett, Edith Harbaugh, Ott Kaukver
Jul 1, 2021	$4.0M Seed		20VC, Addition, Afore Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Boldstart Ventures, Bond, Climate Capital, FJ Labs, General Catalyst, Pareto Holdings, Preface Ventures, Spark Capital, Allison Pickens (Allison Pickens Ventures), Brandon Deer, Charley M, Zander Lurie

Financial History

dope.security has raised $20.0M across 2 funding rounds.

Total Raised

$20.0M

Valuation

N/A

Deep Dive

High-Level Overview

dope.security is an enterprise cybersecurity company founded in 2021, specializing in a fly-direct Secure Web Gateway (SWG) deployed on endpoints for fast, reliable internet access without data center rerouting.[1][2][4] Its core products include dope.swg, an on-device proxy with local SSL inspection, URL filtering, and cloud app controls; CASB Neural, an AI-powered Cloud Access Security Broker for data loss prevention (DLP) in apps like Google Workspace and Microsoft 365; and Dopamine DLP, a real-time AI endpoint DLP solution.[1][2][3][4][6] The company serves cybersecurity-conscious enterprises, MSPs, and sectors needing robust endpoint and cloud protection, solving performance lags, outages, and privacy issues in legacy SWGs amid remote work and cloud shifts.[1][2][3] With $20 million raised and operations in Mountain View, CA, and Cork, Ireland, dope.security reports strong channel partnerships and customer migrations from incumbents like Cisco Umbrella and Zscaler.[2][3]

Origin Story

dope.security was founded on May 4, 2021, by Kunal Agarwal, a former software engineer at Forcepoint and Symantec, who identified flaws in traditional SWG architectures during the post-COVID remote work surge.[1][2][3] Customers repeatedly complained about outages, speed downgrades to HTTP/1.1, and unreliability from traffic rerouting to data centers, prompting Agarwal—with nudges from former managers—to build an endpoint-based alternative.[2][3][7] The company launched with a $4 million seed from Boldstart Ventures in September 2022, starting with 30 employees in Mountain View.[2] A $16 million round followed in March 2023 from Google Ventures, Boldstart, and Preface to advance its fly-direct tech.[2] Key milestones include July 2025 enhancements to block consumer ChatGPT access and September 2025's Dopamine DLP launch.[2][6]

Core Differentiators

On-Device Architecture: Deploys proxy directly on Mac/Windows endpoints for zero stopovers, enabling full SSL inspection, URL filtering, and cloud controls locally—up to 4x faster than legacy SWGs, reliable on any network, and privacy-friendly without central rerouting.[1][2][3][4]
AI-Powered Innovations: CASB Neural uses deep learning for one-click data exposure insights, replacing regex DLP; Dopamine DLP provides real-time generative AI classifications via the proxy to block leaks.[1][3][4][6]
Ease of Use and Deployment: Channel-first with partners like Alturna Tech and Optiv; simple console, instant SSL fixes, Shadow IT protection, and compatibility with Office 365/Google Workspace; GDPR/SOC 2 compliant for SMBs to enterprises.[2][3][4]
Fly-Direct Ecosystem: Integrates VPN for point-to-point firewall access (upcoming); outperforms Netskope, Zscaler in speed/privacy per customer feedback.[1][3][4]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

dope.security rides the remote/hybrid work and SSE explosion, where legacy SWGs fail in distributed environments, fueling a market from $12.3B to $44.4B by 2033.[2][3] Timing aligns with cloud adoption, AI threats like ChatGPT data exfiltration, and zero-trust demands, as endpoint traffic bypasses offices.[2][3][4] Favorable forces include MSP channel growth and rip-and-replace from slow incumbents (Cisco, Zscaler, Netskope), plus integrations like CrowdStrike Falcon.[3][6] It influences the ecosystem by pioneering on-device SWG/CASB, enabling faster SSE for MSPs and pushing AI-DLP standards beyond regex.[1][3][6]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

dope.security's endpoint fly-direct model positions it to capture share in SSE/DLP as AI threats escalate and remote work persists, with Dopamine DLP and VPN expansions driving 2026 growth.[4][6] Trends like generative AI security and edge computing will amplify its edge over data-center rivals, potentially via acquisitions or deeper hyperscaler ties.[2][3] Its influence may evolve from disruptor to category leader, redefining SWGs for a proxy-less future—proving dope.security isn't just fixing yesterday's flaws, but architecting tomorrow's standard.[7]

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

How much funding has dope.security raised?

dope.security has raised $20.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.

Who are dope.security's investors?

dope.security's investors include Alt Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, Forum Ventures, GV, Matrix, S28 Capital, SaaS Venture Capital, Slack Fund, Y Combinator, Allen Gannett, Edith Harbaugh, Ott Kaukver.